Crystal Palace captain, Dean Henderson has praised his teammates for creating “memories that will last a lifetime” following their UEFA Conference League triumph.
Henderson made just one save as Jean-Philippe Mateta’s rebound winner saw Palace beat Rayo Vallecano in the final in Leipzig, Germany, to earn their fourth overall cup title, and first major European honour to cap a sensational 12 months which saw them win last season’s FA Cup then the Community Shield last August.
“These boys, honestly, they amaze me,” explained Henderson to TNT Sports post-match as he reflected on their physically challenging season. “It’s very special tonight. Obviously, it’s our 60th game and they’ve ran around all year.
“We’ve had some difficult times through the season, but on nights like this, the boys have delivered.
“Honestly, it’s incredible. You can’t give up and these are special moments with special people as well.”
Henderson proceeded to speak of how special the success is and to lift a psychological weight of wanting to produce their best performance under a momentous occasion, especially after UEFA denied them access to the Europa League this season due to an ownership conflict.
“These are memories that will last a lifetime. I’ve got my family out here as well… it’s incredible. I’m just trying to soak it all in.”
“There’s a mixture of emotions,” continued Henderson. “It’s like a weight lifted off your shoulders, obviously, because you want to deliver when you’re under pressure. I had no doubt that the boys would do that today.
“I felt that we missed a few chances, but thankfully it went our way. The best team deserved to win and I think we were on the night.
“We’ve got back what we deserved from last season. It’s a fairytale.”
Henderson’s former teammate, Joel Ward was present pitchside with TNT and quizzed Henderson on Oliver Glasner’s impact since he took charge in February 2024, as the Austrian prepares to leave the club this summer which led Henderson to describe the victory as the ideal farewell.
“The Manager has been incredible. You know how good he is as well Wardy.
“He deserves his send-off and I think this is how it should have ended. I’m so happy for him as well.”